Roethlisberger talks after OTAs

Roethlisberger talks after OTAs
6-3-2010
Posted 1 hour ago

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spoke after OTAs on Thursday. The following is what Roethlisberger said:

I know you guys have been waiting to talk to me, and I have to you. I just want to let you guys know how good it is to be back on the field. Itís been a long time away. Itís been hard, but Iíve been putting in a lot of time and effort, and working hard, both on and off the field, while Iíve been gone. Itís not the same. I love football to death, but I think itís meant more to be out here with my teammates, my brothers, my family, if you will, so thatís what has been really neat about being back out here. Iíve put a lot of thought into my life, decisions Iíve made in the past that Iíve been sitting at home thinking about things, and working closely with the Commissioner on ways to make changes, corrections. Iím looking forward to the second chance and the second opportunity, not just in football Ė because I think everybody knows what youíre going to get in football Ė but in life. I think thatís what is more important. Iím happy to be out here, and even kind of happy to see you guys again.

Q. Can you talk about the public support from your teammates, and do you look at this as a new beginning?

A. Itís been great to read and hear from those guys. Not just text messages and calls they sent to me, but to read the things in the media they say. Thatís why I say itís great to be out here with my brothers. They really are family to me. I have spent a lot of time evaluating and looking at my life both on and off the field and I think this is s a time for me to close the chapter on the last couple of years of my life and move on to a new one, kind of a new start. I am really excited about it.

Q. What kind of changes are you talking about that you want to make?

A. A lot of them are personal things, which is just something I need to do. Itís been neat being able to re-evaluate my life and spend time with my family and re-evaluate and re-figure whatís important in life. Thatís me. Evaluating what I need to do and be smarter when it comes to certain things. Itís a new chapter. I am looking forward to it. It starts with football. I am glad to be back out here.

Re: Roethlisberger talks after OTAs

Roethlisberger: Make best of 'second chance'

By ALAN ROBINSON (AP)

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger says he needs to be smarter about making decisions in his life and is working closely with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to make the best of his "second chance" in football.

The Steelers quarterback talked publicly Thursday for the first time since drawing a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. He did not apologize for his actions in a Georgia nightclub, where a college student accused him of sexually assaulting her. But he said he has spent the last two months rethinking his life and the type of person he wants to be.

"I've put a lot of thought into my life, the decisions that I've made in the past," Roethlisberger said. "I've been sitting at home thinking about things, and I've been working closely with the commissioner on ways to make changes, corrections. I'm looking forward to the second chance and the second opportunity — not just in football, because I think everybody knows what you're going to get (from me) in football, but in life. I think that's kind of what's more important."

Roethlisberger offered no specifics about his dealings with Goodell, who ordered him to undergo an evaluation before clearing him to take part in the Steelers' final few spring practices, which end June 10.

"(I'm) evaluating what I need to do, and be smarter when it comes to certain things," Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger can take part in training camp and preseason games, but cannot practice during his suspension. Goodell has the option of trimming the suspension to four games.

Roethlisberger spoke briefly at the end of a Steelers voluntary practice, then took two questions before a team publicist cut off the news conference. Neither question dealt with the Georgia incident, which led to no criminal charges but shamed the two-time Super Bowl winner and caused a dramatic drop in his popularity with the Steelers' large fan base.

Coach Mike Tomlin says the team is working closely with the two-time Super Bowl winner to help him straighten out his life.

"I've spent a lot of time evaluating and looking at my life both on and off the field," Roethlisberger said. "I think this is a time for me to kind of close the chapter of the last couple of years of my life and move on to a new one, kind of a new start. I'm kind of really excited about it."

Roethlisberger, who was known for frequenting nightclubs with an entourage of friends, did not specify what changes he is making.

"Well, a lot of them are personal things, which is just something that I need to do," Roethlisberger said of his lifestyle changes. "But it's been neat being able to really reevaluate my life and spend time with my family and kind of reevaluate and refigure what's important in life. ... It's a new chapter and I'm looking forward to it and it starts with football and I'm glad to be back out here."

Re: Roethlisberger talks after OTAs

Roethlisberger: Trying to make most of 'new chapter'
By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, June 3, 2010

[IMGR]http://i48.tinypic.com/takdu8.jpg[/IMGR]Speaking for the first time since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for the first six games of the 2010 season, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he has started a "new chapter" in his life and that he intends to make the most of the second chance the Steelers have given him.

"It's been neat to really evaluate my life and spend time with my family and kind of re-figure what's important in life," Roethlisberger said today. "That's me evaluating what I need to do. Looking forward to the second chance, second opportunity. Not just in football but in life."

Roethlisberger addressed more than 40 reporters after the Steelers' final practice this week. He took two questions before a team official ended his first Q-and-A with the media since Roethlisberger's off-the-field conduct stained both his and the Steelers' image and nearly brought down his career in Pittsburgh.

Goodell, who suspended Roethlisberger on April 21 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, cleared the two-time Super Bowl winner to return to practice late last week.

Roethlisberger, who practiced with the Steelers all three days this week, said he is grateful to be back with the team.

"I love football to death," he said. "That's why I say it's great to be out here with my brothers because they really are family to me."

Roethlisberger, who has been accused of sexual assault twice since last July, said he has been working closely with Goodell to "make changes, corrections" to his personal life.

Roethlisberger could have his suspension reduced to four games by Goodell for good behavior.

"I've put a lot (of thought) into my life, decisions that I've made about things," Roethlisberger said. "It's a new chapter and I'm looking forward to it and it starts with football so I'm looking forward to it."

Re: Roethlisberger talks after OTAs

Ben Roethlisberger spoke words many longed to hear, even though there were not many of them. His delivery sounded sincere, humble, contrite, as did his body language.

The Steelers' quarterback took another small step forward Thursday when he spoke publicly for the first time since he read a statement April 12 in the team's locker room after authorities in Georgia announced they would not charge him with sexual assault.

He read no statements after practice Thursday. He walked off the field with Steelers public relations staff member Burt Lauten and headed toward a gaggle of news media estimated to be in the 40s on the field's edge. As some in the crowd pushed toward him, he politely asked them to be careful because one of the more petite of their group, a woman, might get jostled in front.

Roethlisberger then spoke briefly and followed by answering two questions before Lauten ended the interview that lasted two minutes. That was the plan; say something quick, take a question or two and live to interview another day.

Next likely will come the longer interviews, the one-on-ones -- Oprah? Larry King? -- in which Roethlisberger might bare his soul and provide more details of how he plans to change his life, which is something he promised Thursday.

"A lot of them are personal things, you know, which is just something that I need to do," Roethlisberger said. "But it's been neat being able to really re-evaluate my life and spend time with my family and kind of re-evaluate and refigure what's important in my life."

Two questions were asked; many more remain, including the most important: How do you regain the respect of fans? What possibly can he say or do to erase the memory of what police and others say what happened in the early morning hours of March 5 in a tiny college town in Georgia?

A 20-year-old inebriated woman, who had followed him from bar to bar, at first claimed sexual assault, then asked investigators not to pursue the case. Five weeks later, Georgia authorities announced they would not charge Roethlisberger with a crime, although the district attorney gave a scathing review of the whole seedy scene and advised the quarterback to "grow up."

Roethlisberger at least appeared to try to do that this week.

Since his return to the Steelers on Tuesday, Roethlisberger has seemed relaxed, genuine and humble while talking to people around the team's facility. He has apologized to some for being what he termed a "jerk" at times during his career and promised they will see a changed man from now on.

He has told people that he got caught up in the "Big Ben" persona and that he wants to return to the grounded person he said he had been before he allowed all of the NFL success to envelope him. He is said to be turning more strongly toward his religious beliefs as well.

The words sounded good Thursday, but only his actions can win back fans he has lost over the past three months, on and off the field. The big job, of course, comes off the field, where his reputation lies tattered. But there will be pressure for him to continue to perform at a top level on the field as well. Otherwise the amateur psychologists among fans, the media and maybe even his coaches and teammates will blame any below-average performances on his troubles and wonder if he will ever be the same quarterback they knew before March 5.

"I'm looking forward to the second chance and a second opportunity," Roethlisberger said Thursday, "not just in football because I think everyone knows what you're going to get in football, but in life."

The football part will be almost as intriguing to watch because he will go through an entire training camp, and then be banished for at least a month by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's decree.

Roethlisberger also has told people he plans to be more accessible to the news media and he indicated as much Thursday, ending his brief interview by telling them, "I'll be talking to you guys a lot more."

That was a small step for Roethlisberger. He has giant leaps remaining.
QB derby virtually done

The Steelers have three spring practices left on the schedule, but really there is only one. That could mean the hunt for the quarterback to start the season is over, and may have been over long ago.

The organized team activity that takes place Tuesday will not be football, but bowling as Mike Tomlin takes his team on its annual outing. Wednesday, the team will practice at Heinz Field and Thursday, the last permitted practice, also bows to the Tomlin-era tradition of "hat day," in which players where alternative headgear that can range from baseball cap to more unique styles, and usually includes a much briefer practice period.

Dennis Dixon has not practiced with the first team and it has become obvious Byron Leftwich will open the season as the starting quarterback. With the return of Roethlisbeger this week, Dixon has gotten more snaps and was No. 2 Thursday, but Leftwich ran the first team since minicamp April 30 until Roethlisberger's arrival Tuesday.

Re: Roethlisberger talks after OTAs

Ben has no choice but to straighten himself out in his personal life. If he doesn't then he will be done in the NFL. Everything he says sounds good in theory. The question is will be actually follow up on it or fall back into old patterns and keep hanging out in clubs once the furor dies down. Time will tell. I hope he is serious about it.